High protein kidney failure! Oh noooos!

[mrRuckus]

I started a new job recently and this one girl caught on that i was eating ground beef every morning for breakfast.


She first asked if i was on the atkin's diet. I said no. She then proceeded to tell me that my kidneys will fail from a prolonged high protein diet. The guy next to her said he agreed with that.

I told her, of course, that the only problem with a high protein diet is if you already have an existing kidney problem. She retorted with the ever popular and completely scientific refutation of "it's proven it will hurt your kidneys."


I'm not looking to even discuss this. I'm more rant just getting it off my chest since no one else in the world will go along with me nor care enough to look it up other than you gym freaks.


Here is just one source.

Now for the medical and scientific facts. There is not a single scientific study published in a reputable peer - reviewed journal using healthy adults with normal kidney function that has shown any kidney dysfunction what so ever from a high protein diet. Not one of the studies done with healthy athletes that I mentioned above, or other research I have read, has shown any kidney abnormalities at all. Furthermore, animals studies done using high protein diets also fail to show any kidney dysfunction in healthy animals.

Now don't forget, in the real world, where millions of athletes have been following high protein diets for decades, there has never been a case of kidney failure in a healthy athlete that was determined to have been caused solely by a high protein diet. If the high protein diet was indeed putting undo stress on our kidneys, we would have seen many cases of kidney abnormalities, but we don't nor will we.

From a personal perspective as a trainer for many top athletes from various sports, I have known bodybuilders eating considerably more than the above research recommends (above 600 grams a day) who showed no kidney dysfunction or kidney problems and I personally read the damn blood tests! Bottom line? 1-1.5 grams or protein per pound of bodyweight will have absolutely no ill effects on the kidney function of a healthy athlete, period. Now of course too much of anything can be harmful and I suppose it's possible a healthy person could eat enough protein over a long enough period of time to effect kidney function, but it is very unlikely and has yet to be shown in the scientific literature in healthy athletes.

Here is another one from a harvard website.

"Importantly, however, we also demonstrated that for women with normal renal function, high-protein diets appeared to have no adverse impact on their kidney function."

 

[kabatura]

I try to drink a gallon of water a day, I have had so many people over the past few years tell me too much water is bad for you and you can DIE.

The media really likes stories where something that is known to be good for you has a possibility of being bad for you, or vice versa, like the stories about wine being good for you.

 

[alphamailman]

Yea, I think you'll know when too much water is too much (likely a s*** ton). On the other hand there is a such thing as protein poisoning. That would be when you consume only protein and no fats or carbs as well. I just had to look that up when a friend asked me about the possibility of a no-carb diet. I learned it on man vs. wild which is legit unlike survivorman (who sleeps off set in hotels).

 

[talrock]

There are much worse things out there to kill your organs than protein, like alcohol and cigarettes. The only thing that suffers from eating too much ground beef/protein is the toilet

 

[kickureface]

ask her how much she weighs and be shocked and ignore fruther advice!

 

[mrRuckus]

ask her how much she weighs and be shocked and ignore fruther advice!

She is skinny.

 

[kickureface]

call her fat and she will go bonkers.
if she's hot, ask her if she will make some ground beef + cheese for you

 

[Alle_Gory]

I try to drink a gallon of water a day, I have had so many people over the past few years tell me too much water is bad for you and you can DIE.

Too much of anything will have adverse effects.

This woman died in a water drinking contest:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6263029.stm